By Jason Scheer
A patron walks up to the circulation desk at the Baldwin Public Library and looks at the pin on a librarian's shirt. It says that the librarians are looking for an "average" salary.
"Are you guys going on strike?" the patron asks.
"Oh no," replies the librarian. "We just want to get what other librarians are getting."
Such is the state of affairs at the library, where staff members have been without a contract since June 30, 2004. Two members of the library's union, the Civil Service Employees Association, spoke with the Herald. They asked that their real names not be used, so they will be referred to as Mary and Ellen. Both said that contract negotiations, which were held infrequently, are at an impasse. The reason for the stalemate is that employees in Baldwin want their salary to be in line with their counterparts throughout the county.
Every year, the Nassau County Library Association publishes the salary schedules and personnel benefits of all 48 libraries in the county. According to the most current report, for 2003-04, Baldwin employees made significantly less than their peers. For example, a senior library clerk in Baldwin makes $28,067, whereas the average salary in Nassau County libraries is $37,316. In the category of Librarian I, an entry-level librarian, Baldwin employees average $40,158, while the county average is $45,451.
The only job in which the average salary in Baldwin exceeded the county average was that of administrative assistant, where the $70,325 salary far exceeded the average of $48,860.
One of the employees the Herald spoke to said the reason for the disparity is that, in the past, the union members were willing to give in. But it has gone too far, she said. "They wanted to know why we weren't doing them a favor again," Mary said. But the favors are apparently over.
In addition to the relatively low salaries, union employees are fighting to keep their health benefit contributions where they have been in the past. The library has been paying 100 percent of the employee coverage and 50 percent of the family coverage. Now, employees are being asked to contribute 20 percent for individual coverage, and family coverage is staying the same. That change, they say, can be devastating.
"It's a tremendous burden, especially when you can't afford to pay for your own health insurance," Mary said. "Our salaries are so low, that's going to be a sizable chunk."
In addition, Baldwin employees are asking for retirement benefits in line with other libraries' employees. "There are 54 libraries in the county," Mary said. "Only 47 reported about their health benefits and retirement. Of those 47, 45 offer some kind of health insurance in their retirement, which is very common practice for civil service employees. Their salaries are low, so they expect to get benefits in lieu of money. That hasn't happened here for a long time."
Mary and Ellen said that many of the employees felt that their compensation had taken a back seat to the massive renovation project that is still under way. "Our morale is low because we consider ourselves considerably underpaid, and we have had to endure construction conditions for three years now," Mary said. She said that the construction has adversely affected her ability to do her job.
Eight months ago, some employees were moved to the new wing of the library while construction was being completed in the center atrium. "There were nail guns, blow torches, scaffolding, ladders and coiled cabling," Mary said. "It was an active construction site, and we had to traverse that several times a day to get from our desks to wherever else we had to go. It was truly bizarre."
Kevin Kamen, president of the Library Board of Trustees, said he could not comment on the specifics of the contract negotiations. However, he said, "The board appreciates the hard work and dedication of the library staff, and we hope to reach an agreement with the union as soon as possible. It's important that the board sign off on a contract that the community and taxpayers can afford."
